title: Embedding and publishing interactive, 3-dimensional, scientific figures in Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
abstract: With the latest release of the S2PLOT graphics library, embedding interactive, 3-dimensional (3-d) scientific figures in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files is simple, and can be accomplished without commercial software. In this paper, we motivate the need for embedding 3-d figures in scholarly articles. We explain how 3-d figures can be created using the S2PLOT graphics library, exported to Product Representation Compact (PRC) format, and included as fully interactive, 3-d figures in PDF files using the movie15 LaTeX package. We present new examples of 3-d PDF figures, explain how they have been made, validate them, and comment on their advantages over traditional, static 2-dimensional (2-d) figures. With the judicious use of 3-d rather than 2-d figures, scientists can now publish, share and archive more useful, flexible and faithful representations of their study outcomes. The article you are reading does not have embedded 3-d figures. The full paper, with embedded 3-d figures, is recommended and is available as a supplementary download from PLoS ONE (File S2).
authors.affiliation: Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia ; Monash e-Research Centre, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia ; Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidiassov
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruthensteiner
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fluke
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Quayle
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: McHenry
mesh_terms: D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D011381:Programming Languages; D011643:Publishing; D012984:Software